Top 10 Fighting Anime [Best Recommendations]

Throughout the ages man has participated in many battles which consist of fists, swords, and other various forms of weaponry. There's really no real justified reason why we fight, perhaps for the notoriety or for some it's the sheer rush of adrenaline that pumps through your body. Fighting isn't always about guts and glory but more so about expression and creativity and we've chosen top ten fighting anime that demonstrate the art in motion.

10. Queens Blade: Rurou no Senshi

Queens Blade showcases some really fantastic fight scenes that we'd love to share. The story follows the life of Leina, a nomad warrior who decides to leave her father's heritage behind and to enter the deadly Queen's Blade Tournament. Every battle is always different ranging from oil fighting, to the more traditional sword fights. In episode three, Leina faces a very formidable opponent in a ring full of oil and she has to prove her strength to the judges in order for her to move on in the tournament. This scene was full of ecchi but also a lot of body slams and head locks to keep you entertained.

We chose this as our tenth spot because Queen's Blade isn't just about the ecchi moments that are scattered all throughout the series, but because as the story progresses so too do the battles that Leina has to overcome. Some of her opponent's specialize in extremely powerful magic which can tear the clothes off your body, while others just use their gifted strength to toss their opponents in every direction. We encourage you to check out the rest of these fantastic seasons to see Leina fight it out using her fists, weapons, and ecchi techniques.

9. Terraformars

The story of Terraformars revolves around humanoid-type cockroaches who have no mercy towards mankind, and only seek to bring pain and suffering to anyone who stands in their way. An elite team of experienced soldiers are sent to Mars to seek out more information pertaining to the roaches, but unfortunately these roaches aren't interested in casual conversation. Terraformars deserves the number nine spot on our list because of how fast paced everything is, especially during fights. There are no big swords or towering robots with laser beams, just a team of immensely strong soldiers with the ability to transform and achieve super human strength.

The battle between Michelle and one of the roaches is simply astounding. This one scene just showed how incredibly strong Michelle was and how effortless she made everything look. The two were locked in hand in hand with the roach seeming to have the upper hand. Suddenly out of nowhere Michelle charges up her power suit, crushing the hands of the roach and unleashing a headbutt so hard it knocks the roach off screen killing it instantly.

8. Bleach

Bleach will always find its way into the hearts of many anime fans because it showed a lot of story and intensity all the way through. The story takes a look at Ichigo as he squares off against enemies twice his size or who wield an incredible amount of power within. This show was more about the magic side of fighting, where every individual was gifted with power enhancing traits known as Bankai, allowing them to reach a new level of strength in battle. Some powers allowed the user to summon beasts, while others just unlocked an immense aura of power that was unstoppable.

One great example is Kenpachi, who donned an eye patch that when taken off, unlocks his ultimate form giving him an overwhelming amount of energy. In the battle versus Yammy both Kenpachi and Byakuya face off against the towering monster to try and protect the soul society from corruption. This was an incredible bout as Kenpachi just came in with a sword and raw power to take down the enemy without breaking much of a sweat. We see the contrast in character style where Byakuya uses his powerful sword to summon magical energy to chop down his opponent.

7. Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo stars Mugen, Jin, and Fuu who are on a journey to search for a mysterious individual that Fuu is very fond of. Along their path they come across a lot of obstacles leading from other samurai to just your typical dirty thieves. Mugen is a vagabond and really has no care for where his life takes him, so long as there's action that comes along with it. These battles are awesome because they take place in unique environments such as the very traditional styled arch bridge that you'd usually see in Japanese history books.

The battle between Mugen and Ukon was fantastic not just because of the location, but because of how natural it looked. There were no magical powers being summoned or powerful technology to overpower the enemy, it was just true honest and pure with every sword swing inching closer to that fatal blow. Jin also put up a great fight as well in the fight scene where he teamed up with Mugen to fight against the very swift and mighty Kariya, which took place on a small dock near the water. Truly incredible stuff and we highly recommend watching this classic because you'll be amazed by everything you see.

6. Sengoku Basara

Sengoku Basara has been a very popular franchise due to its deep rooted history pertaining to the warring states period in Japan. We thought it fit in quite nicely with our top ten because throughout this entire ordeal, there was nothing but sword fighting at every corner. Masamune was the fearless leader of his clan who made a vow to ensure that his enemies would fall to his sword, and that he could claim power over everyone around him. We really loved the epic battle scene where Sanada and Date squared off against each other because of the difference in skill these two possessed.

Date was known to carry multiple swords while Sanada specialized in spears so the contrast in their fighting style was spectacular to watch, and the special effects gave more life to the scene. Date would threaten with a flurry of strikes, only to have Sanada dish out a counter attack of his own sending Date flying. We really liked the way their strength was symbolized through their red and blue aura to show a dark vesrus light scenario which added more fuel to the already outstanding battle. This show never fails to showcase some incredible battles that would have you sitting on the edge of your seat begging for more.

5. Seven Deadly Sins

Seven Deadly Sins has so many epic moments where Meliodas and the crew fight it out against the bad guys, and so we'll do our best to narrow it down to the parts that resonated more. When Diane had her hammer stolen by the enemy, a tournament was built in order for her to get it back which forced both Meliodas and team member Ban to battle it out for the prize. This was one of the finer moments in the anime because we had the pleasure of watching two of the most powerful members of the team square off to see who would stand tall.

A flurry of calculated punches were thrown so hard that the ground beneath them started to cave in, and their clothing starting to shred off slowly from the intensity. We will not say who won but the battle itself was just brute strength versus supreme power and it ended up destroying the entire tournament stage. There are so many incredible scenes that demonstrate magic, sword play, and hand to hand combat that you'll never be bored while watching.

4. Akame ga Kill

Akame ga Kill tells the epic story of a team of assassins nicknamed the Night Raid. Akame and her team must uncover the truth behind Prime Minister Honest's plans to bring ruin upon the town and for what reasons. We follow Tatsumi as he is the newest leader of the squad and so he must go through extreme ordeals in order to discover not only what's transpiring within the empire, but to challenge his own morals and values along his new journey. This show is full of explosive battles that take place in various environments such as a park, a boat, and on top of buildings. Wherever there's space to unleash your fists of fury, the Night Raid made sure to use every bit of it at their will.

A great example is when Tatsumi squared off against Nyau in episode 8, where the two fought to the death on a boat with rain pouring down on the battlefield. Each character threw explosive punch after punch, with taunts thrown in for good measure along the way. Both used their immense power to try and outclass the other, with sweat pouring down their faces as each clash intensifies. This is just one of the very spectacular fights that you'll see throughout the show, so we most definitely recommend that you check this one out if you're into sword battles, and super powers.

3. Attack on Titan

Japan ranked Attack on Titan as one of their top anime for 2013, with popularity going through the roof. The story focuses around a team of soldiers who swore to protect their town from the massive man eating giants that live just behind the great wall. Unfortunately one of the titans was able to break through which caused mass hysteria, and prompted the team to head into battle. Eren decides to enlist himself into the Survey Corps so that he can help to combat these deadly humanoids ,as more and more giants continued to break through each new barrier. Eren and his team were forced to use risky tactics in order to bring them down, with each fight scene full of intensity as you see soldiers flying through the sky, dismembering limbs, using swords and gun play.

If you love little bit of everything when it comes to hardcore battles, then watch as Eren cuts his opponents down. As the story progresses so too does the list of characters we're introduced to, but more importantly the intense battles that lie ahead. The new season of Attack on Titan will drop very soon and so we expect there to be more bloodshed in this all out action anime, so be sure to watch it and let us know what you think.

2. Basilisk

Basilisk takes place in an era where corruption was rising and two warring clans were turning against one another. To obtain a scroll which entails important information, ten representatives must fight each other to the death in order to possess it. Two of the main leaders of each clan had killed each other which led everyone to believe that something else had transpired during the ordeal. Iga and Gennosuke became the two new leaders of each clan but more trouble started to brew when rumors began circulating of mistrust among clan members. No one knew of the secret love connection that started, but this would trigger the beginning of massive killings to weed out the truth.

From the beginning of the series we are rewarded with a handful of deadly fights between each of the ninja clans, all of which are bloody and gruesome. One great example is in episode 17 when Gennosuke's clan were caught in a trap built by Tenzen, who had every intention of killing them. Every fight was full of sword play that ended up in a blood bath, but so captivating at the same time because there's such a deep premise behind it all. What makes each fighting scene more spectacular is that once you start to unravel more of the truths, you begin to realize the intention of each individual and their willingness to survive at all costs.

1. Hajime no Ippo

Makunouchi was bullied all throughout his school year and was looked down upon from his peers. Due to this misfortune he was seen as a loner with no one to look up to. That all changed however when Makunouchi was being bullied under a bridge and an unknown individual came through and knocked every tooth out of each bully, leaving them in dire straits. This was the pivotal moment of Makunouchi's life as this hero suddenly became his inspiration to start boxing to protect himself. His family was in dire need of help since his father passed, and the fishing business wouldn't be able to hold up much longer. He decided that it was his purpose to live out the life of a professional boxer, and help bring stability back to his life.

Hajime no Ippo demonstrates the true art of boxing taken to the next level. You can see the drive, intensity, and passion that Makunouchi displays in order to strive for greatness. Every match that he enters is filled with heart stopping moments, and times where you just want to cry out of sheer excitement. One great example is when Makunouchi had to square off against long time rival Ryuuhei in a battle for the title, and from the moment the bell rang it was explosive. Every punch that was traded you could feel in your chest, and when Makunouchi finally connected the winning blow your adrenaline just skyrocketed as if you were the one fighting. This non-stop action keeps you glued to your seat, and also inspires you because it goes to show you that anything is possible once you strive hard to get it.

Closing Statement

Humans will continue to prove themselves in battle until the end of time. Throughout various centuries fighting has only evolved and will continue to do so well into the distant future. Whether we'll be here to witness it all will depend on a lot of things, but we can be certain that it will never stop. As we mentioned earlier, the art of fighting is something that is earned through practice and self motivation and so to become the greatest fighter one must stand up through all adversity to become a true champion. If you have any other anime that had some really wicked fight scenes, be sure to leave it down in the comments section below! Until next time, for your sweet anime fill, always keep it locked here at Honey's Anime. See you again soon!

Editor/Writer

Author: Rob "NualphaJPN" B.

100% Vegan. A passionate fan of gaming, writing, journalism, anime, and philosophy. I've lived in Japan for many years and consider this place to be my permanent home. I love to travel around Japan and learn about the history and culture! Leave a comment if you enjoy my articles and join me on Discord! Take care!